Engine-starting mechanism.



H. W. SAEGER z W. BUR'OW.

' ENGINE STARTING MEGHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE B, 1910.

Patented Man?, 1911.

O @QQ HERMAN' W. SAEGER, 0F BATTLE CREEK, IOWA,

ENT. OFFICE."

AND'WILLIAM nunow, or* 5 FREDERICK, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ENGINE-STARTING MECHANISM.

saam.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Mar. t, 1911.

Application led'une 8, 1910. Serial No. 565,868

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERMAN W. SAEGER, a' citizen` of the United States, residing a't Battle Creek, in the county of Ida and State 'of Iowa, and WILLIAM BUnow, a citizen of the United States, residing at-Fredericln in. the county of Brown and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Mechanism,

of which the following is a specication.

Engines of theinternal combustion or eX- plosive type are required to be started by means of a crank and it not unfrequently happens that a premature explosion causes the engine to start backward'with serious results tothe person starting the engine.

The present invention provides asafety mechanism as an adjunctive part of the engine starting or crank mechanism, so that f the ppended claims. .35

Re erring'to the drawing,

of the application, Figure Y1 is a front view loit a starting mechanism for explosive enthe invention. lFig. 2 is gmes embodying a vertical section thereof on the line zzzm of Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a t-ransverse section on the line y--g/ o thev parts when cranking thevengine. Fig. 4 is a view' similar to Fig. 3', showing the relation ofthe parts when the starting crank is automatically disengaged from the crank the engine starting backward 1s pivotally connected forming a part Fig. 2, showing the relation ofshaft 'by the releasing mechanism in vthe event of the vengine back-tiring. t

Corresponding and like parts are referred to jin the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawing, by the same reference characters. I

`The numeral 1 designates the starting crank, 2 the extension thereof andB a cage coupling between the startingcrank 1 and its extension 2,;said coupling consisting of a disk 4 rigid with the inner end ofthe starting crank, a disk 5 rigid with the crank extension 2 and pins 6 connecting the disks.

4 and 5. The disks 4 and 5 are spacedvapart and receive between them the ratchet mechanism. The starting crank extension 2 is tubular and receives the outer end of the engine or crank shaft 7.' A ratchet wheel 8 -is fastened-to the outer end of the crank shaft 7 so as to turn therewith. A pawl 9 with the cage coupling and coperateswith the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8 and is mounted midway of its ends upon a pin 10, which' is supported at its ends in the-disks 4 and 5. A spring `11 coperates normally exerts a pressure thereon to hold the same jinengagement with the ratchet wheel. The rat-chet'wheel' 8 and the pawl 9 constitute the essential parts of the starting proper direction, namely to the right, the the teeth of the starting ratchet wheel S and causes a corresponding turning of the crankshaft 7. When the engine starts the with the ,pawl 9 and starting pawl 9 engages with.

pawl 9 rides upon the teeth of the `ratchet l wheel 8.

The releasing mechanism for automatically and instantly -disengaging the starting pawl 9 from the starting ratchet wheel 8in the event ofthe engine back-firing comprises a pawl l2 and a ratchet 13. The releasing pawl 12 is mounted upon a pin 14, which is supported at its ends in the disks 75 ratchet mechanism. When the crank l is v,turned in the 4 and l5. One end of the releasing pawl 12 f overlaps an end portion of the starting pawl .i 9, -whereas the opposite end of the releasing pawl is arranged to engage elements ofthe ratchet 13, whereby said releasing pawl is movedto effect a corresponding movement ofthe starting .pawl so as to depress the end thereof inv engagemenbwith the pawl 12, with the resultrthat the oppositelend of the starting pawl is disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8 so that the crank shaft 7 may turn backward without causing a vcorresponding backward movement of the startingcrank. The releasing ratchet 13 may be of any construction and is krmly .secured to the framework ofthe machine and encircles the cage coupling 3 and in its' specific construction comprises a pair of rings 15 andconnecting pins 16.

AZU The'nuterend` of the releasing pawl 12 is curved so as to"`engage the pins-16 and to ride thereon in the forward rotation of .the

crank so as to relieve the pressure of its inner end upon the starting pawl 9. In the event of the engine `back-firing the outer endof the releasing pawl 12 engages one of the pins 16 and .rides thereof, thereby depressing the inner end of the pawl l2 and causing disengagement of the pawl 9 from the teeth of the starting ratchet 8. The spring 11 also serves to exert anv outward pressure upon the outer end of the releasing pawl12. A finger piece 17 projects laterally from theouter or rear end of the pawl 12 and is adapted to Vbe pressed upon so as to relieve pressurey of the pawl 12 upon the pawl 9. A notch 18 is formed in the edge of the disk 4 to receive the finger piece 17 when the same is pressed inward. By havling the starting and -the vreleasing ratchet mechanisms located in the same 'plane' a compact arrangement results and a cumber' some appearance is avoided. y

. VFrein the foregoing description, taken in connection withv the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while we have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the vdevice which we now consider'to be the embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that the is claimed as new', vis:-

device shown is merely illustrative, and that such phanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims' appended hereto.

Having thus described the 'invention what 1. In starting mechanism for explosive engmes comprising a crank shaft, a starting crank and a starting ratchet mechanism, the

latter comprising. a ratchet wheel connected with the crankshaft and a pawl mounted pon the starting crank, a releasing ratchet mechanism, the same comprising a ratchet encircling the starting ratchet: mechanism, and a pawl pivotally'mounted between its ends and .having its inner end overlapping the starting pawl and having its outer end outwardly curved to ride upon the elements of the releasing ratchet in the forward rotation of the `starting crank and to engage with. an element of the releasing ratchet to move the releasing pawl so asl to eifect dis. engagement of the starting pawl from the starting ratchet, the releasing pawl being provided'rwith a linger pieceto admit of manual operation thereof. Y

2.- In engine starting mechanism of thel character described, the combination of acrank shaft, a starting crank, a starting crank extension, a cage coupling connecting the starting crank and the starting crank extension, a starting ratchet fastened to the crank shaft, a starting pawl pivotally connected with said cage coupling, a releasing pawl having an end portion overlapping the starting pawl, said releasing pawl being carried by said cage coupling, and a releasing ratchet secured tothe framework of the engine and encircling" the cage coupling and adapted to coperate withthe releasing pawl to effect disengagement of the starting pawlV from the starting ratchet in the event of back-ring of the crank shaft.

3. In engine starting mechanism of the l ment thereof from the ratchet wheel, and a releasing Aratchet encircling the said disks' and fixedly mounted and adapted to co# operate with the releasing pawl to effect movement thereof to cause automatic disengagement of the starting ratchet mechanism in the event ofthe engine back-firing.

4. The herein described starting mechanism for explosive engines, the same comprising a starting crank, a tubular starting crank extension, disks at the inner ends of the starting crank and starting crank extension, pins connecting said disks, a crank shaft passing through the' 'starting crank extension, a starting ratchet secured to the.

crank shaft, a startin pawl mounted intermediate of its ends etween said disks, aA

110 the rst mentioned pawl to effect disengagereleasing pawl mounted intermediate of its endsbetween said disks and having its inner end overlapping the starting pawl and hav ing its outer end curved outwardly, a finger piece projected laterally from the outer end of the releasing pawl, a spring arranged between the disks and normally exerting a pressure uponboth the. starting and the releasing pawls, and a fiXedly mounted releasing ratchet encircling the beforementioned disks'and comprising spaced rings and connecting pins, the latter forming elements to enga-ge the outer end of said releasing pawl.

V In testimony whereof we aHix our vsignatures in Lhe presence of witnesses.

HERMAN W. SAEGER. WILLIAM BUROW.

Witnesses as to the signature of Herman W. Saeger:

HENRY R. ALBERS, H. J. SNovnR.

Witnesses as to the signature of Wlliar 1urow:

C. B. AINSWORTH, .FRANK MARQUARDT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .'D. C. 

